Recycling Opportunities During A Major Decluttering Project

When you're ready to go through your house and get rid of all of that clutter, don't just fill up a dumpster with items you don't want or need. You'll find that many items can be recycled for use again. As you work through your house, here are some items to look for that can be recycled instead of thrown away.

Major Appliances

Old washers and dryers, ovens, and refrigerators that have been sitting in your garage waiting to be hauled away can be sold to companies that refurbish usable items and resold. Some of these businesses will come to your home and pick up the items for free. Large appliances that are not usable can be sold to a scrap metal recycling center. Small appliances, such as microwaves and toasters, can also go to a scrap metal yard instead of into the trash.

Household Plumbing

Old kitchen and bathroom faucets and metal sinks can be recycled. Metal bathtubs and shower stalls can also be recycled if they aren't rusted. Toilets, tubs and sinks made of or coated with porcelain can be recycled if they aren't stained or chipped. Fiberglass items aren't recyclable and should go into the trash.

You can sell old copper or steel pipe left over from a major plumbing remodeling project. Plastic, iron and galvanized steel pipes are trash.

Household Electrical

Copper wire can be sold to scrap metal yards. Metal electrical conduits can be recycled. Old electrical outlets and light switches may be reused if they are grounded. If not, then throw them away. Old light bulbs and fluorescent tubes should be taken to the hazardous material section of the recycling center because of potential trace amounts of mercury in them.

Carpet and Tile

Carpets that are cleaned and not stained can be recycled, but throw the old carpet pads away. Any wet carpet has a risk of developing mold and mildew and should be disposed of. Stone, marble and ceramic floor tiles can be recycled if they aren't cracked. Linoleum and vinyl flooring goes into the trash.

Construction Materials

Wood shingles can be recycled by companies that grind them up into mulch. A few recycling companies will take asphalt shingles and pulverize them to be added to road repair materials. Metal roof panels can be sold to a metal recycling yard.

Concrete blocks may be recycled if they are intact. Cracked concrete blocks can be ground up and used for construction fill material. Stones and bricks used for landscaping can be recycled if they are still in good shape. Some landscaping companies will buy these from you. Contact a company like Big Daddy Scrap for more information.